1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; modifying the duties and expiration of the Online and Digital 
1.3 	Learning Advisory Council; providing for a grant program to support digital 
1.4 	curriculum development in Minnesota schools;amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, 
1.5 	section 124D.095, subdivision 10.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 124D.095, subdivision 10, is amended to 
1.8 	read:
1.9 		Subd. 10.Online and Digital Learning Advisory Council. (a) An Online and Digital 
1.10 	Learning Advisory Council is established. The term for each council member shall be three 
1.11 	years. The advisory council is composed of 14 members from throughout the state who 
1.12 	have demonstrated experience with or interest in online learning. Two members of the 
1.13 	council must represent technology business. The remaining membership must represent the 
1.14 	following interests:
1.15 	(1) superintendents;
1.16 	(2) special education specialists;
1.17 	(3) technology directors;
1.18 	(4) teachers;
1.19 	(5) rural, urban, and suburban school districts;
1.20 	(6) supplemental programs;
1.21 	(7) full-time programs;
1.22 	(8) consortia;
2.1 	(9) charter schools;
2.2 	(10) Board of Teaching-approved teacher preparation programs; and
2.3 	(11) parents.
2.4 	The Members of the council shall be appointed by the commissioner in consultation 
2.5 	with the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate 
2.6 	committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education policy.
2.7 	(b) The advisory council shall bring to the attention of the commissioner and the 
2.8 	legislature any matters related to online and digital learning. The advisory council shall 
2.9 	provide input to the department and the legislature in make policy recommendations to the 
2.10 	commissioner and chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having 
2.11 	jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education policy by December 15 of each 
2.12 	year regarding online learning matters related, but not restricted, to:
2.13 	(1) quality assurance;
2.14 	(2) teacher qualifications;
2.15 	(3) program approval;
2.16 	(4) special education;
2.17 	(5) attendance;
2.18 	(6) program design and requirements; and
2.19 	(7) fair and equal access to programs.
2.20 	(c) The advisory council with the support of the Minnesota Department of Education 
2.21 	and the Minnesota Learning Commons shall:
2.22 	(1) oversee the development and maintenance of a catalog of publicly available digital 
2.23 	learning content currently aligned to Minnesota academic standards to include:
2.24 	(i) indexing of Minnesota academic standards with which curriculum is aligned;
2.25 	(ii) a method for student and teacher users to provide evaluative feedback; and
2.26 	(iii) a plan for ongoing maintenance; and
2.27 	(2) recommend methods for including student performance data on the digital learning 
2.28 	content within the catalog.
2.29 	(d) The advisory council shall also consider and provide input to the department and 
2.30 	legislature on digital learning matters including, but not limited to:
3.1 	(1) a review and approval process to ensure the quality of online learning providers 
3.2 	based on teacher qualifications, support for special education services, definitions of student 
3.3 	attendance, program design, and equal access;
3.4 	(2) effective use of technology and related instructional strategies to improve student 
3.5 	outcomes and advance students' 21st century skills and knowledge;
3.6 	(3) measures to determine the impact of various forms of online and digital learning in 
3.7 	and outside of the classroom;
3.8 	(4) resources to help parents, students, and schools choose among enrollment options 
3.9 	in a transparent education system;
3.10 	(5) how to personalize or differentiate learning to meet the needs, abilities, and learning 
3.11 	styles of each student and support students' ownership of their learning so that all students 
3.12 	are digital learners and have access to high-quality digital curriculum in every class and 
3.13 	grade level;
3.14 	(6) professional development in best practices to prepare current and future teachers, 
3.15 	other education leaders, and other school staff to use and evaluate the effectiveness of digital 
3.16 	tools and instructional strategies, provide personalized or differentiated instruction, and 
3.17 	focus on competency-based learning and advancement so that all educators have a digital 
3.18 	presence and use high-quality digital curriculum;
3.19 	(7) support for collaborative efforts to leverage resources for digital instructional content 
3.20 	and curriculum; and
3.21 	(8) barriers to improving the use of classroom technology and methods to ensure that 
3.22 	each student has access to a digital device and high-speed Internet at school and at home.
3.23 	(e) The advisory council shall make policy recommendations to the commissioner and 
3.24 	committees of the legislature having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 
3.25 	education annually by December 15 of each year, including implementation plans based on 
3.26 	recommendations from previous councils and task forces related to online and digital 
3.27 	learning.
3.28 	(f) (c) The Online and Digital Learning Advisory Council under this subdivision expires 
3.29 	June 30, 2016 2020.

3.30 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective retroactively from June 30, 2016.

4.1 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS.
 4.2 		Subdivision 1.Department of Education. The sums indicated in this section are 
4.3 	appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years 
4.4 	designated.
4.5 		Subd. 2.Digital curriculum development. (a) For grants to develop and implement 
4.6 	digital curriculum consistent with Minnesota academic standards:

4.7		$
	2,500,000
	.....
	2018
	
4.8		$
	2,500,000
	.....
	2019
	
4.9 	Any balance in the first year does not cancel and is available in the second year. The 
4.10 	base for fiscal year 2020 is $0.
4.11 	(b) One or more school districts, charter schools, service cooperatives, or intermediate 
4.12 	districts may apply to the commissioner in the form and manner determined by the 
4.13 	commissioner for a grant to develop and implement digital curriculum consistent with 
4.14 	Minnesota academic standards. Eligible uses of the grant include but are not limited to 
4.15 	creating or purchasing digital curriculum and system development. The commissioner must 
4.16 	award at least one grant to an applicant that proposes to create a new, digital, open educational 
4.17 	resource for statewide use. The commissioner must award at least one grant to an applicant 
4.18 	that proposes to expand access to an existing online learning program. The maximum award 
4.19 	in each year is $500,000 per applicant.